Chapter 2605: Unexpected Surprise

Novel:

At this moment, Lu Ye had already moved past his original square and entered a new one. This square, however, was empty, with no enemies to kill, which left him feeling quite bored. He briefly sensed that his clone was equally restless. Fortunately, his clone was not alone; several Integration Realm companions were with him. They huddled together, nervously discussing and dreading the misfortune that could strike at any time.

Given the limited number of squares the two players could initially activate, both Yuan Xi and Hei Xue prioritized moving Harmonization Realm cultivators after the initial familiarization round.

Currently, Lu Ye was the only Integration Realm cultivator Yuan Xi was consistently moving.

Under these circumstances, all Integration Realm cultivators within the game could only remain where they were. At such a critical juncture, if an enemy Harmonization Realm cultivator were moved into their square, the Integration Realm cultivators would be utterly defenseless.

As the game progressed, the two players continued their attacks. After two more rounds, Yuan Xi finally chose to bolster her defenses. She knew that if she didn't act, she wouldn't be able to withstand Hei Xue's attack in the next round. She had no desire to experience such an assault firsthand; if anything happened to her, the player, the entire game would collapse, leaving her side, the white pieces, to be slaughtered by the enemy without any means of resistance.

When it was Hei Xue's turn, he likewise chose to reinforce his defenses, showing no complacency. He feared death even more than Yuan Xi did!

Within the game, Lu Ye stepped into a square where several cultivators were gathered, all emitting a white glow, clearly allies. Upon his arrival, the cultivators all looked expectant. The young man leading them even stepped forward, cupping his fists and bowing. "Greetings, fellow Daoist. May I ask your cultivation realm?"

"Integration Realm Ninth Stage," Lu Ye answered honestly.

The spark of hope and anticipation in the cultivators' eyes immediately faded. They had all hoped Lu Ye was a Harmonization Realm cultivator, which would have offered them a degree of security by his side. Instead, he was merely an Integration Realm cultivator. Only the young man appeared thoughtful. "Is fellow Daoist truly just an Integration Realm cultivator?" He had observed earlier that all the cultivators temporarily moved by both players were Harmonization Realm cultivators. If Lu Ye truly was just an Integration Realm cultivator, what made him qualified to be moved in this manner? It was well known that the number of squares being moved at this moment was extremely precious to both players; not a single one could be taken lightly.

"Indeed," Lu Ye nodded, glancing around. His eyes immediately lit up, for in an adjacent square, a group of cultivators were emitting a black glow. He had been skipped for two rounds, which had somewhat delayed his eager plan to kill enemies and grow stronger. Unfortunately, while inside the game, he could only perceive Yuan Xi, the player, and the immediate adjacent squares. He couldn't see further if there was an intervening square. However, judging by Yuan Xi's recent movements of him, she undoubtedly intended to guide him toward eliminating enemies. These black pieces in the neighboring square were the prey Yuan Xi had found for him.

"I wonder if there's a Harmonization Realm cultivator among them," Lu Ye mused, his gaze sweeping over the black pieces with scrutiny.

"What are you staring at, boy?" a middle-aged cultivator among the black pieces retorted, hands clasped behind his back, glaring coldly.

Lu Ye's eyebrows instantly rose. The opponent's arrogance and confident demeanor clearly indicated he was a Harmonization Realm cultivator! It seemed he was in for another successful kill. In high spirits, he offered the middle-aged man a faint smile.

"It's over, it's over, we're dead for sure," a nearby Integration Realm cultivator wailed, unable to bear the immense pressure. He had likely deduced that there was a powerful Harmonization Realm expert among the adjacent black pieces. Therefore, with a single move from Hei Xue, the enemy could invade their square and slaughter them at will. The other Integration Realm cultivators also wore mournful expressions. They might not fear direct conflict on a battlefield, where there was room to maneuver, and as long as they avoided being drawn into battles between Harmonization Realm cultivators, they would only face enemies of their own level. Here, however, it was different. Within the confines of the square, no amount of maneuvering or dodging would allow them to escape. Directly confronting the might of a Harmonization Realm cultivator like this was indeed a daunting task.

Lu Ye's smile clearly irked the middle-aged man. He let out a cold huff. "I'll kill you later!"

"Alright," Lu Ye replied with a cheerful smile.

Just then, Hei Xue made his move. Immediately, dozens of Harmonization Realm cultivators within the game began to move, and sounds of life dwindling away could be heard all around. Around Lu Ye, the Integration Realm cultivators braced themselves as if facing a formidable foe, their faces grim. However, the enemies opposite showed no intention of attacking, indicating they hadn't been moved and thus couldn't cross the boundaries of their own square.

"Consider yourself lucky!" the middle-aged cultivator scoffed again, feeling quite regretful. As a piece, however, how and when he moved was beyond his control; it was entirely up to Hei Xue's will. He glared coldly at Lu Ye. "But such good fortune doesn't last forever."

As he finished speaking, he suddenly saw Lu Ye, a smile playing on his lips, take a step towards him, then stride across the blood-red boundary of the square and enter the very square he occupied. The middle-aged cultivator's eyes narrowed, and the Integration Realm cultivators around him were equally astounded. Even more astonished were their own cultivators, the white pieces. Just before Lu Ye acted, they had sensed Yuan Xi was moving their square. The Integration Realm cultivators nearly went mad! They simply couldn't fathom what their player was doing; wasn't this tantamount to sending them to their deaths? Only the young man who had first spoken to Lu Ye had a sharp gleam in his eyes, staring at Lu Ye's back with excitement. He knew clearly that their player couldn't be so foolish. If she chose to move their square, there had to be a logical reason. Sending her own pieces to their deaths would not only be unhelpful but also detrimental to the player.

"Good fortune indeed doesn't last forever!" Lu Ye slowly drew his blade. "If you can't come here, then I'll go there?"

The middle-aged cultivator's expression shifted, sensing dimly that something was amiss. He immediately roared, "Kill him!" The black Integration Realm cultivators around him instantly charged out from behind and to his sides, assailing Lu Ye in unison. Lu Ye swept his blade horizontally, and a dazzling saber gleam cut through the air like a wind blade. The approaching Integration Realm cultivators were instantly cut in half, their blood gushing forth. The fresh blood gushing from their corpses, manipulated by some power, transformed into a ferocious blood beast that lunged back towards the middle-aged cultivator.

"Blood Art?" The middle-aged cultivator, having already manifested his Dao weapon, instantly saw through the blood beast's true nature. With a sweep of his Dao weapon, he shattered it. His eyes narrowed sharply, for, under the cover of the blood beast, Lu Ye had already closed the distance and unleashed a fierce downward strike.

"Impossible!" the middle-aged cultivator roared, raising his Dao weapon to parry.

Behind Lu Ye, the Integration Realm youth wore a look of astonishment. In his perception, Lu Ye's strike was aimed at the enemy's waist, yet the enemy seemed utterly oblivious, instead parrying a nonexistent attack from above. His block, naturally, met only empty air. The sharp blade sliced across the middle-aged cultivator's waist, drawing a large spray of blood. It could have severed him completely, but it was unfortunately obstructed by a Dao bone within his body, preventing a full success.

"Ah?" Under intense pain, the middle-aged cultivator finally reacted. He couldn't comprehend how he had made such a fundamental error. He quickly grabbed at the Pan Mountain Saber to prevent Lu Ye from continuing his attack, while his other hand's Dao weapon crashed down. Lu Ye merely gave the Pan Mountain Saber a jolt, breaking free from the man's grip. The blade then swept upwards at an angle, deftly avoiding the internal Dao bone, its momentum as formidable as a rainbow! Half of his body flew off diagonally, blood gushing and internal organs spilling. Not until Lu Ye sheathed his saber did the middle-aged cultivator's vigorous life force completely dissipate.

Not far behind him, the youth still in the original square watched in dizzying awe, and the other Integration Realm cultivators were equally dumbfounded. They had all believed this was their certain doom, for no one could contend with the might of a Harmonization Realm cultivator. Yet, in a flash, all the enemy Integration Realm cultivators were annihilated, and even the Harmonization Realm cultivator was cut down in just two strikes! The entire sequence left them feeling as if they were in a dream.

Looking at Lu Ye again, they suddenly understood: How could this possibly be an Integration Realm Ninth Stage cultivator? This was clearly a powerful Harmonization Realm expert. He had merely been teasing them earlier.

"Why are you just standing there stunned? Come over here!" Lu Ye turned to look at the Integration Realm cultivators, still frozen in place. Since they had met, it wouldn't be right to abandon them. They were all allies, and if Lu Ye could preserve their lives, it would be beneficial to Yuan Xi, the player. Furthermore, players moved pieces based on the square; regardless of how many pieces were in a single square, they could all be moved simultaneously. Therefore, even if he brought a few individuals along, it wouldn't hinder him. The Integration Realm cultivators now, as if waking from a dream, stepped over the blood-red boundary and gathered around Lu Ye, feeling a tremendous surge of safety.

Lu Ye, however, now gazed strangely ahead. After he had slain several enemy cultivators, the black light from their bodies imprinted upon him once more, granting him dozens of power boosts. But unlike before, a shimmering glow had appeared before him. "What is this?" He examined it closely but couldn't make any sense of it. There had been no such glow when he killed the insectoid Harmonization Realm cultivator earlier.

"Sir, what are you looking at?" the young man suddenly asked. He saw Lu Ye staring blankly into the void ahead, as if he had encountered a perplexing problem, which made him feel a little uneasy.

"Hm?" Lu Ye turned to look at him, then suddenly realized, "You can't see it?" Lu Ye pointed in front of him. "There's something here. Can none of you see it?" The Integration Realm cultivators all shook their heads.

Just then, Yuan Xi's voice entered his ears: "The rules state that defeating an enemy beyond your realm yields an unexpected surprise! What's before you must be that surprise. When you killed the insectoid Harmonization Realm cultivator earlier, there was one too, but that surprise was for the player: I gained the ability to move two additional squares each round."

Lu Ye's eyebrows rose at her explanation.

(Author's Note: I'm unwell. I had an IV drip yesterday and need another one today. My entire body feels weak, and my bones ache. Only one update today.)